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Bringing Your New Finches Home

The fun part is buying your finches and then bringing them home; the part that can be a bit tough, according to breeders, is getting your birds comfortable in their new environment. To ensure good health and vitality you need to take steps to acclimated your new birds to their new home as quickly and stress free as possible.

You should have already prepared a temporary environment for you birds before you even visit the breeder and buy your finches. A large cage will do, remember even though the birds are small, they need plenty of room. Place a bowl of water and a dish of millet seeds along with some bird biscuits in the cage so that nourishments are readily available to your finches as soon as they are introduced to their new home.

It would be ideal for you to ask the breeder for a cup of the birds’ regular food so that you can mix it with the new foods you will be feeding the finches. This way the will eat as soon as they are introduced to their new home. Fresh seeds are the best choice, grasses rich with seed stalks would be a wonderful homecoming meal for you finches.

For those who already have an aviary population at home, don’t add your new birds to the aviary right away. You will need a separate cage to quarantine you new finches for at about five days which allows them to acclimate to their new environment before being introduced to the existing bird population.

Finches are shy, timid birds and excessive stimulus is not good for them. They will become very active once they have adapted to their new home, but when you first bring them home they need a calm, quite area. If your home is full of noise and activity, you will need to find a quiet area to place their cage against a wall at face level. Make sure the cage is not exposed to drafts, direct sunlight or air vents as this could be dangerous for your birds. You may also wish to place a thin cloth over the cage to help them adapt by giving them their own ‘space’.

Whether you us an outdoor aviary, an indoor aviary or a large cage; the method you choose to house your birds has a direct effect on their health. An outdoor aviary is ideal, if you have the budget for it. If you don’t have the budget for an outdoor aviary, consider getting an indoor aviary. An aviary that is at least forty inches high is perfect for a pair of finches.

Free plans to construct an aviary can be found by searching the internet. Almost any sturdy materials can be used to construct the main framework for your aviary. Some people like using inexpensive plastic pipes while others choose varnished wood.

If an aviary is not within your budget, you birds can be temporarily housed in a cage that is at least 20 X 20 X 20; this size is ideal for two birds. If you put too many birds in one cage congestion can occur and this is very stressful to your finches. Stress in finches can lead to illness, disease and death.

Large enclosures keep your finches healthy and happy, which allows their natural behavior to shine through. When provided with good housing, your finches will naturally pair up, mate and produce young; jut as they would in the wild. If you plan to breed your finches, you absolutely must have a large enough enclosure to keep them from getting over crowded.